We Were Made For Each Other
by Brittany1022
Summary: How would things be different if Clare had skipped her mother's fundraiser to go hang out with her new English partner, Eli Goldsworthy? Read and find out.
1. Hummingbird

**Hey everybody :) So this is my first story, and I would love to know what you think about it. I've been thinking about the idea of this for a while now, and am just now starting to actually do something about it. I'm not sure how long it's going to be, but I'd love it if you gave it a chance. It takes place after Clare and Eli skip class together to work on their English essays. Enjoy!**

**The title of this chapter is named after the song Hummingbird - NeverShoutNever! I just think the beginning of the song could possibly go with the Eli/Clare relationship at first.**

Clare's POV:

I'm starting to get really worried about hearing my parents fighting all the time lately. I'm sitting here at my laptop, trying to finish my English paper that was due today, but having no such luck. Too much noise for me to think. Maybe I should just give up for now and go out for a walk so I can think. Or maybe I shouldn't have skipped English today with Eli.. I look at the clock and it says it's 5:25. I sigh out of frustration and put my head in my hands.

A few seconds later I lift my head back up so I can save the progress on my paper, and I notice a FaceRangeIM chat icon pop up on my screen.

"eli-gold49: more public embarrassment tonight?"

A smile slowly spreads across my face. I respond, "Is that an invitation?"

Seconds later he replies, "do you want it to be?"

I have the biggest smile on my face and I'm about to respond and say that I would love to hang out, when I hear someone walking down the stairs.

"No, I don't understand why you have to go back to work tonight." I hear my mom say.

I don't turn around right away, because I'd really rather just stay out of their arguments..

"Because the world doesn't revolve around you and your fundraisers, Helen. I mean someone's got to do some fundraising for this family." My dad replies.

I can tell that they're trying to be quiet so I won't hear. That, or neither one of them is aware that I'm sitting right in the next room.

"We made these plans weeks ago."

"_You_ made the plans Helen. Goodnight."

And with that my father left. I finally turned around to see my mother standing by the front door.

"Everything okay?" I decided to ask her.

"Oh Clare.." She sounded surprised. I'm going to guess that she didn't know I was sitting in the next room. "Any chance you want to sub in tonight?"

I turn to look back at the chat on my laptop screen. Eli's waiting for me to respond.. But so is my mother. I decide to respond to her first. "Tonight?" I hesitantly ask.

"Never mind. Never mind, I'll be fine." My mother replies. She doesn't say it angrily, but I can tell she wishes that I would go with her.

I take a minute to think it over. I have two options here. The first one is to tell Eli I can't hang out, and to go to my mother's fundraiser with her. Or my other option is to tell my mom I have unfinished school assignments, and go hang out with Eli. Normally, I would just tell my mom that I'd love to go with her.. But a part of me wants to find out some more about Eli Goldsworthy.

"Sorry mom, I'd love to, but I have a lot of school work I still need to finish tonight. You can tell me all about it afterwards though. I'd love to hear how it goes." I say, hoping it all came out right. I wanted it to sound like I was sorry I was going to miss it, which I was. But I also wanted it to sound believable.

"That's alright dear, I know how important it is to stay caught up on your work. And of course I'll tell you all about it later." She looked at me and smiled weakly. "There's always next time, right?"

"Right." I smiled. And then she walked back up the stairs.

I turn back to face my laptop. "I think I'll have to take you up on your offer. What did you have in mind?" I finally respond to him.

About a minute later Eli responds. "Well I donno.. I could come pick you up in a half hour?"

I feel myself start to smile again. "Sounds good to me. I'll see you then." And then I log off.

My mom should be leaving for her fundraiser soon, so until then I try to think some more for my English paper. Now that it's actually quiet for once, and I'm looking forward to hanging out with Eli, I'm able to concentrate considerably better. I'm practically finished with my paper, when my mother comes down the stairs.

"Well I'm off. I'll probably be home late. And your father.. I'm not sure when he'll be back." She looks saddened as she says that last part. "Good luck with your school work."

"Have fun!" I say as she walks out the door.

The minute she's down the sidewalk and to her car, I dash up the stairs to my bedroom. I take a look at the clock and notice it's now 5:45. Eli will be here in about 15 minutes. I head into my bathroom to brush my teeth, fix my hair, and touch up my makeup.

I hear the doorbell ring right as I finish up. There's a huge grin plastered on my face.. But I'm not totally sure why. I mean, I barely know Eli. And it's not like I like him.. Right?

I pull myself together and wipe off that ridiculous grin as I answer the door to reveal Eli standing on the other side.

"Hey Clare. Ready to go?" Eli asks me with the same ridiculous smirk on his face, that I had on mine seconds before.

"Yeah." I smile in return. "Do you mind if we take a walk though? I could really use some fresh air."

"Sure. Although that doesn't rank very high up on the "public embarrassment" scale." He chuckles.

"Oh whatever." I say as I walk out my front door, closing it behind me. "I already lied to my mom just so I could hang out tonight."

Eli raises his eyebrows at me, which means he wants me to explain.

"Well.. My mom and dad kind of had a fight. He was supposed to go with her to this fundraiser, but he ended up having to go into work. My mom wanted me to go with her instead, but I kind of told her I had a lot of assignments I still needed to get done tonight. Which isn't a complete lie. More like.. Exaggerated truth?" I shrug my shoulders. "I just didn't mention that I'd be going out tonight instead of doing all this supposed school work that I have." I look down at my feet realizing what a petty lie it really was.

Eli looks at me and smiles. "Well well, screaming in public _and_ lying to your parents all in one day? What kind of influence am I on you?"

I look up and meet his green eyes. I couldn't help but smile.

"Come on, let's go for a walk." He says.

"Really? It's not too _calm_ for you to handle?" I sarcastically reply.

"Hey lady, I can _handle_ anything you bring my way." He says as his smile widens.

"Alright then. Let's go."

**So what did you think? I'd love to read reviews. :) I'll continue this and post hopefully in a couple days.**


	2. The Great Escape

**Thank you to everybody who reviewed chapter one. And to everyone else who read it also. It really means a lot to me. :)**

**This chapters title is The Great Escape - Boys Like Girls. I love that song, and writing this chapter just made me think of it in some parts.**

Clare's POV:

We start walking, in no particular direction really. Just one of those walks that you take to clear your mind from all your troubles. Things are quiet between us. I'll admit it, I am a little bit nervous. Although I would be surprised if Eli is too. He just usually seems so confident and put together. But it's not like I really know him all that well.

My thoughts are interrupted when he says, "You know, you didn't have to lie and come hang out tonight. You could have just told me that you were busy."

I glance over at him. "I know, but I wanted to." I simply reply. Out of the corner of my eye I see him look at me and smirk. "What?" I ask.

"Oh nothing.. I just wouldn't have thought that _Clare Edwards_ would lie just to hang out with me."

I let out a small laugh. "Could you _be_ more smug?"

"Absolutely!" He replies.

"Well don't be." I smile at him. "I didn't do it just for you. I needed to get out of the house anyways."

His smile fades a little. "How bad is it?"

I look at him again, not quite sure of how to respond. "Well.. It's just that lately the arguing has gotten so much worse. I swear it didn't use to be like this when my sister, Darcy, was still around. But now she's off in Africa being her amazing self, and I'm stuck in that house alone with them.. Having to listen to them fight all the time." I look away from him. "I hate being in that house all the time. It's just not the happiest place right now. So that's why I needed out."

Eli is silent for a moment, as if he's trying to think of how to respond. "Well, I can't exactly say I know what it's like.. But anytime you need to escape, you can call me. Alright?"

I look at him and smile. "Okay. Thanks Eli."

He smiles back. "No problem Clare."

After that we walk in silence for a few minutes. It isn't awkward though. It's quite calming actually. Eventually we find ourselves walking right across the street from The Dot.

Eli looks over at me and asks, "Do you want to go in and get something to eat?"

I stop walking and look at my watch. It's about 6:30 and I just remembered I haven't eaten anything lately. And it's not like I had much for dinner plans anyways, with both my parents being gone for who knows how long.

My stomach grumbles as if on cue. I meet eyes with Eli and smile. "Sure, why not? It's not like we had a destination anyways."

"We do now." He smiles back.

He holds the door open for me and we head inside, choosing a table by the wall. After a few minutes Peter comes by and takes our order. We both get cheeseburgers and Pepsi's, and then we're left alone.

"So, you're new to Degrassi this year, right?" I never remembered seeing Eli around school before, so I thought I would ask.

"Yeah, I just got there this year. I've always lived here, but just wanted a change from my old school." He replies. It almost seems like there's something else he's not saying.. But I don't push the subject.

Instead, I smile. "Change is definitely needed sometimes."

He responds with a smirk. I can't help but notice how incredibly.. _Cute_ he is when he does that. Wait.. Did I really just think that? I barely even know him. I blush slightly and look away.

"So what about you, have you always lived here?"

"Yep." I sighed. "I've lived in the same house all my life. Grown up and hung out with all the same people. I guess you could say I could use some kind of a change sometime soon." I said, as I looked up and made eye contact with him. Looking into his eyes.. Something happened. I'm not sure what, but it just felt.. Right. _Good_ even. We were interrupted by Peter bringing our food to the table. I looked away from Eli with my cheeks feeling hot from blushing.

"Alright. Two cheeseburgers and two Pepsi's." Peter said, as he set down the food. "Enjoy." He smiled, and walked away.

As we ate, we made some light conversation. Mostly about English class and our letters we are supposed to write.

"How is your paper coming along?" Eli asked.

"Umm.. It's alright I guess." Really, I don't think it's turning out all that great. But I don't really feel like telling him that.

"Well that sure sounds believable." He sarcastically replies.

I laugh. What, can he read minds or something? "Okay fine, so it kind of sucks. I've spent like thirty minutes on it, and it definitely has some room for improvement."

"After we walk back to your house, do you want me to take a look at it? I _am_ your English partner after all." He smiles.

"Yeah. I guess that _would_ be a good idea. Better then getting another C on a paper.. Or worse." I smile back.

He chuckles. "Because that would just be the _end_ of the world.." We both laugh.

We both finish up our food and pay so we can leave. We walk in silence for most of the way back. When we get about three blocks from my house it starts to rain. And I mean _really_ rain. We start running, and are about to my front walk when I almost trip and fall.

"Whoa!" I yell. Out of nowhere I feel a hand grab my arm and steady me back on my feet.

"You okay?" Eli asks me.

I nod, since I'm out of breath. After a few seconds I respond, "Yeah. Thanks." I look down to notice his hand is still on my arm. I swear I saw him blush as he let go of me and turned his head away.

"Come on, let's get inside." I yell over the sound of the rain.

By the time we get inside we are both soaking wet.

"If you want, I can throw your jacket in the dryer." I suggest.

"Sure, thanks." Eli smiles, taking off his jacket. "Where's your bathroom at?"

"Up the stairs, second door on your right." I smile in return.

I head to the dryer and put both of our jackets in and start it, then I go sit down at my laptop and look at my English paper. It seems like I rambled a lot.. I'm just starting to reread my paper from the top, and I hear someone say, "Wow.. It really does kind of suck."

I jump out of my seat and turn around to face Eli. "Geez! You scared me half to death."

He smiles and laughs. "I'm sorry Clare, I didn't mean to. I just figured that you heard me already."

"Yeah, well I didn't. I guess I was just paying too close attention to my laptop." I laugh. "So, do you want to sit down or..?"

"No, you go ahead. I'll stand." He replies.

So I sit back down in my seat. "Can you scroll.. Never mind, I'll do it." Eli says, as he leans over my shoulder to reach my mouse pad. His neck is inches away from my face, and I can smell him. I don't think it's cologne though.. I think it's just _him_. Whatever it is smells incredibly good..

I quickly stand up, before I do something stupid, and Eli raises his eyebrows at me.

"I Uhh.. I need some water." I force myself to say. "Do you want some?"

Eli looks at me questioningly, but doesn't say anything more about it. "Sure, that would be great."

So I head to the kitchen to get us some water. _What is wrong with me?_ I say to myself. I was about two seconds away from kissing Eli's neck back there. After what happened with Declan last year, I would like to think I know better than to even _think_ about kissing somebody's neck. But maybe that's my problem, I wasn't thinking straight.. I guess that's what happens when I'm too close to somebody I'm attracted to.

_Oh great.. So now I'm attracted to Eli?_ I think to myself. I shake my head to wake myself up from my thoughts. I grab our waters, and head back into the living room to find Eli sitting at my laptop.

"Here's your water." I say, handing a glass to him. "So, should I just throw it out and start over?"

"Well.. that might be in your best interest." He glances back at me with an apologetic look on his face. "It might be a little easier if you pick a different topic."

"Great.. So now I need to think of a brand new topic _and_ write an entire paper to turn in tomorrow? I'm doomed." I sigh, and look towards my laptop.

Eli's face lights up. "Hey what if you write a letter to your parents? That way you could say what you need to _and_ use it for your English assignment. Kill two birds with one stone."

I think about it for a minute, then smile. "That might actually work. I've been wanting to ask them about what's going on lately with them, but didn't know how to go about it.. Thanks for the idea." My eyes meet his.

Eli smirks, "No problem. I wouldn't be a very good English partner if I didn't help you out once in a while." I look away, feeling my cheeks turn red.

Suddenly, there's a knock on the door. Eli and I both turn our heads. I wasn't expecting anybody.. _Obviously_. So who could it be?

**Alright, there's the end of Chapter two. I know, a little bit of a cliffhanger. :P Review and tell me who you think it is at the door. Since tomorrow, technically now today, is Friday (aka, new Degrassi Episode :D ) I'm not sure how quick I'll be about updating. If not tomorrow, then soon definitely. :)**


	3. You Had Me At Hello

**Thank you for the reads and reviews. :) I would have tried to update sooner, but the Drop The World promo just kinda freaked me out a little, and made me over analyze a lot of stuff. But now I'm just trying to put it in the back of my mind, and get on track with my story. So here's chapter three. Enjoy. :)**

**The title for this chapter is You Had Me At Hello - A Day To Remember. It's just a really cute song, and it kinda fits at some parts. :)**

Clare's POV:

I walk over to the door and open it.

"Oh.. Hey Alli. What are you doing here?" I ask, a little surprised to see her.

"What? So now I need to have a reason to come visit my best friend?" She says as she walks into my house.

"No, that's not what I meant.. I just wasn't expecting you, that's all." I say, smiling weakly. I close the door after she walks through, and we head into the living room.

"So what are you do-" She suddenly stopped talking when she saw Eli. "Oh.. Hi Eli." Alli says, then gives me a look. I give her a confused look in return. What? Was I not allowed to have other friends over?

"Hey Alli." Eli replies, giving her a friendly smile. Then it gets quiet, and not the good kind either. It's awkward.. _Extremely_ awkward actually. "Well I should probably get going." Eli states.

"Oh.. Okay." I say, kind of disappointed that he's leaving already. "Oh! Let me go get your jacket." I mumble as I leave the room. I get to the dryer and pull his jacket out. It's already all the way dry, and really warm.. And I think the heat brings out the scent, Eli's scent, a lot more. _Great_.

I hurry back into the living room. "Here you go, dry and warm." I smile as I hand Eli his jacket.

He smiles back. "Thanks. And good luck on your letter."

"Ugh don't remind me.." I reply, looking down at my feet. Eli chuckles, and I look up to meet his eyes. We just stand there for a minute, until Alli clears her throat. I had almost forgot that she was there. Eli and I both look away, slightly blushing.

"I'll see you tomorrow Clare." Eli says as he walks towards the front door while trying to hide his smile.

"Bye Eli." I smile as he walks out of my door. The second he's gone it's like I'm being interrogated.

"What in the world was that all about? You like Eli, don't you? Come on Clare, you might as well just spill it and tell me everything right now." Alli excitedly says.

"Slow down! There isn't much to tell really.." I tell her, hoping she believes me. There really isn't _that_ much to tell.. But knowing Alli she'll make one little thing out to be something huge.

"Oh whatever Clare. You're a terrible liar, you know that?" She smugly states.

"_Fine_. I'll tell you about my night. Just as long as you don't make it out to be something that it's not." Alli nods her head and waits for me to speak. So I tell her about it all, starting with Eli messaging me. And then about my parents and lying to my mom.

"Whoa, wait a minute.. Saint Clare lied to her mommy?" Alli jokingly asks.

I give her a look. "Do you want to hear the rest or not?"

She makes a gesture to show that her lips are sealed, and so I continue. I tell her about going out for a walk, and then eating at The Dot. Alli starts to say something, but I give her a look and she stops.

"So then we ran back here in the rain and went over my English paper. And then you showed up, so that's pretty much it." I really hope she doesn't push it. I know, I wasn't all that detailed. But I just felt like I could leave a few things out. Like how I loved the way he smells, or that I almost tried to kiss him.. Knowing Alli, she would blow it out of proportion.

"Can I say something now?" She says after a few seconds. I nod my head, and she continues. "You and Eli ate at The Dot.. So was that like a date then?" Alli asks, sounding way too excited.

I shake my head. "No, we just ended up there on our walk. And we were both hungry, so we decided to stop."

She almost seems a little disappointed. "So, nothing happened.. But do you like him?"

I think about it for a minute. "I'm not exactly sure how I feel about him." I honestly tell her. I've only liked two guys before. K.C., and we all know how that ended.. And briefly Declan last year. I haven't known Eli for that long, but I guess it _is_ possible that I could kind of like him..

"Well, let me know when you figure it out, alright?"

I sigh. "I _will_ Alli." She smiles. "Good."

Just then I hear the front door open, and Alli and I both look over to see my mother walk into the living room. "Oh, hello girls." My mom smiles at Alli. "How are you doing Alli?"

"I'm doing great Mrs. Edwards." Alli smiles back to my mother.

"How did your fundraiser go mom?"

She turns to smile at me. "It went surprisingly well. How's your school work coming along?"

I should have known she would ask that.. "Good. Not too much more to go."

"That's good dear. Well I'm gonna go upstairs. I'll see you girls later." She says, then walks up the stairs.

"Hmm.. Two lies in one night? What's happening to you Clare." Alli says laughing, as soon as we hear my mom's bedroom door close.

"Nothing is _happening_ to me Alli." I laugh too. We talk for about ten more minutes, and then Alli leaves. I sit back down at my laptop, and start writing my English letter. As I continue to type, the words just keep flowing out of my head and into the letter. About forty minutes later I think I'm done. I read it over once more, just to be sure, and I'm actually feeling pretty confident about this one. I save it and print it out, and then sign onto Face Range. I'm feeling hopeful as I scroll down my list of who is online, until I see the name I was looking for, and I smile. I click on the name and type, "_Just finished my letter. Feeling pretty good about it this time. Thanks again for the idea._"

A couple minutes later I hear a _ding_, indicating a new message. I click the chat window and read the response. "_No problem Clare, I'm glad you're finished with it. I bet you did great._"

My smile gets even bigger, and I feel myself slightly blushing. "_Thanks Eli, I sure hope so. Anyways, I had a good time tonight, it was nice to get out for a change._"

"_Anytime. Just remember what I said earlier, whenever you need to get away, you can call me and I'll be there._" Eli responds.

"_I'll remember it. And thank you, it means a lot to me. But I'm kinda tired.. So I'm gonna go get ready for bed. Goodnight Eli._" I press send and patiently wait for him to respond.

About a minute later he says, "_Good, I'm glad. See you tomorrow Clare. Goodnight._" And then I sign out. I close my laptop, and then head to the dryer to get my jacket because I'm cold. I pull my jacket out of the dryer and put it on. Great.. What do you think it smells like? _Eli.. Wonderful_. I laugh to myself and head upstairs to my room.

I change into my pajamas, but leave my jacket on. I turn my bedroom light off, and then slip under the covers. I just lay there for a few minutes, thinking about my feelings for Eli. Even though I don't know him all that well, there's just something about him that seems so.. _Intriguing_. And I decide that I want to get to know him better.

I'm just about asleep, when my phone vibrates on my nightstand, lighting up that I have new text. I reach over and grab my phone. _One new message from Alli!_ The screen says. I sigh as I open my phone and click _read_.

"_Clare and Eli sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g_" Is all it says. I laugh softly, closing my phone and placing it back on my nightstand. I'm just laying there, smiling, and the next thing I know I'm asleep.

**Well there it is. Wasn't **_**too**_** interesting.. But it should be picking up soon. I would love to know what you think, about both the chapter and the Drop The World promo. :) And if you were thinking it was Fitz at the door, I was maybe going to do that, but then I remembered that this is all taking place before Fitz is kinda in the picture.. Anyways, I'll update again soon. :)**


	4. If It Means A Lot To You

**Thanks for the reviews. :) And no, I'm not planning on stopping with this story anytime soon. Just a reminder, the setting/time for when this started was the night Eli messaged Clare about hanging out, and this time she went with him instead of with her mom to her fundraiser. And I don't think I'm going to keep it the same as on the show, so just pretty much that night being different changed the outcome of most things later in the story. Anyways, here's chapter four. :)**

**The title of this chapter is If It Means A Lot To You - A Day To Remember. This is probably my favorite song right now, and I just think it fits in well for what's happening.**

Clare's POV:

I wake up in the morning feeling quite refreshed from last night's rest. I reach over and pick up my cell phone from my nightstand and flip it open. No new texts or calls, but I see that it's 6:15. I get out of bed and stretch, looking down to see that I still have my jacket on. Out of curiosity I smell it, but it barely smells like Eli anymore. I sigh, a little disappointed.

I head into my bathroom to take a shower, and then get ready for school. I brush my teeth and do my hair and makeup, then take a look in my mirror. Satisfied with what I see, I grab my things for school and head downstairs. I walk into the kitchen and see my mother sitting at the table.

"Good morning Clare." My mother says and smiles at me.

"Good morning mom." I smile back at her as I grab a bowl from the cupboard and pour myself some cereal.

"Did you finish all of your homework last night?" She asks me, as I sit down at the table and start eating.

Of course she brings it up.. I didn't really want her to read the letter right now. She's looking at me expectantly though, so I better say something.

"Yeah, I got everything done. It didn't really take as long as I was thinking it would." I take a deep breath. "Actually, there's something I wrote that I want you to read. I'll leave it on the table in the living room when I leave." I feel my stomach start twisting from being nervous, and I'm suddenly not hungry anymore. I get up from the table and take my bowl over to the sink.

"Alright, I'll take a look at it in a bit." My mom sounds kind of hesitant, but she doesn't say anything else.

I head into the living room and sit down at my laptop, opening it. I open up my letter from last night, and print another copy out. After it's printed, I can't help but feel extremely nervous. I stand up, take a deep breath, and set it on the table. Then, I grab my backpack and head out the door.

_Of course it's raining_. I didn't even notice before I left, so I didn't think to grab an umbrella. No way am I going back in there now though, so I suck it up and start walking.

After about a minute, I hear a car pull up beside me.

"Need a ride?" I hear a familiar voice say. I look to my left and see Eli in his car. I'm not exactly the biggest fan of hearses.. But it beats walking all the way to school, umbrella-less, in the rain.

I smile as I get in the passenger seat. "Thanks. I forgot my umbrella, but did _not_ want to go back in my house just to get one."

Eli gives me a confused look. Then, as if he put the pieces together, he raised his eyebrows. "So I take it you gave your parents the letter?"

"Well.. Kind of. I printed another copy out and told my mom I left her something on the table." I shrug. "I just didn't really feel like dealing with what she might say right now."

Eli is silent for a minute. "Do you think they're getting a divorce?"

"What? No! I mean.. I don't know. I hope not. I don't know if I could handle that right now." I look down at my feet.

"Hey," Eli says, gently placing his hand on mine that's resting on the seat. I look up to meet his eyes. "I'm here for you. And I know you can make it through this. You're strong, Clare. One of the strongest people I've ever met."

"How do you figure that I'm strong?" I say, feeling tears start to form.

"Because you're dealing with this head on, instead of running away from your problems. Even though it's killing you inside you're still doing the right thing. Writing that letter to your parents was the right thing to do, and it was also a brave thing to do." I feel a tear start falling down my cheek. "And you wrote that letter, not knowing what the outcome of it will be, because you are strong." Eli says, wiping away the tear from my cheek.

"Thank you, Eli." I sniffle. "It feels really good to hear somebody say that. And it really means a lot to me." I smile at him.

"Anytime, Clare." He says, handing me a tissue. "Don't cry. And if things get too hectic later, just give me a call and I'll be right over." He smiles back at me. "Now, I should probably start driving so that we aren't late."

I softly laugh. "Yeah, that might be a good idea."

The whole ride to school we were silent. The only sound was the radio softly playing, but I wasn't paying much attention to it. We were almost to school when a song came on that caught my attention.

_"And hey darling, I hope you're good tonight. And I know you don't feel right when I'm leaving. Yeah, I want it but no, I don't need it. Tell me something sweet to get me by._"

Usually, I'm not into this type of music. But it just sounded like a beautiful song. "Who sings this song?" I asked Eli.

"A Day To Remember. It's one of their more mellow songs. Why, do you like it?" He asked, looking over at me briefly.

I nod my head. "Yeah. There's just something about it that I like."

Eli smiles, "This is one of my favorite songs." Then he turns the radio up and looks back at the road.

"_If you can wait 'til I get home, then I swear to you, that we can make this last. La la la._" The song continues. And then I hear someone start singing.

"_If you can wait 'til I get home, then I swear come tomorrow this will all be in our past, well it might be for the best._" Eli sings along with the song.

"Wow." I say, looking at the radio.

We had just pulled into the Degrassi parking lot and got parked. He looks over at me with a confused look on his face. "What?"

I look up at him. I didn't realize that I had said that out loud.. "I just.. I just didn't know that you could sing. You're really good." I respond with a smile.

He laughs, "Thanks Clare." Then he smirks at me.

I practically melt in my seat. I clear my throat, "Yeah.. No problem." And then we just sit there for a minute, lost in each other's eyes. I hear a tap on my window and just about jump out of my skin. I look over and see Alli, and notice that it isn't raining anymore.

"Yeah, I guess we should go.." Eli laughs.

I open my door and get out. Alli just stands there with this huge grin on her face. "Did you get my text last night?"

I give her this look, the one that is practically screaming for her to shut up. "Shush!" I yell in a whisper at her. I look over and see Eli looking at me, then looking at Alli, and then back at me again with his eyebrows raised.

I force a smile at him, and then turn back to Alli. "_Yes_ I did. Very cute Alli."

She laughs, "Good, I'm glad you think so too."

I give her another look, this time one that says _leave already, will ya?_ As I point over at Eli with my eyes.

Alli smiles at me. "Well I'm gonna get to class. I'll see you at lunch." She looks over at Eli, and then walks away. I sigh out of relief.

"What was that all about?" Eli asks as we start walking towards Degrassi.

"Nothing." I respond, perhaps too quickly. "Just Alli being.. Well.. Alli."

We both laugh, then walk up the steps and go inside.


	5. Tonight I Love You

**Thank you to all that read and/or reviewed. :) I love hearing back on what you think of how it's going so far. The only thing I want to say first, is that Eli and Clare both already know about Adam being transgender. Now here's chapter five. Enjoy. :)**

**The title for this chapter is Tonight I Love You - The Latency. It's probably my second favorite song right now, and I think it **_**could**_** fit parts of this chapter.**

Eli's POV:

Once we get inside, I look over at Clare. "Well.. I guess I'll see you in English?" I awkwardly ask.

She looks up at me and smiles. "Alright, I'll see you later."

I smile back, then turn down the hallway and head to my locker. As I approach my locker and open it, I notice Adam sitting on the floor at his locker reading a comic book. "Hey man, how's it going?" I smile and ask him.

He looks up at me. "Pretty good I guess. You seem awfully cheerful this morning. What's up with that?" He sarcastically asks.

"Can't a guy just have an alright morning _without_ being interrogated?"

Adam raises his eyebrows at me. "At this school? Yeah right." I laugh. "But seriously, why are you so happy _this_ early in the morning?"

"Well, if you _must_ know, I hung out with Clare last night. _And_ gave her a ride to school this morning." Just saying her name makes me smile.

Adam stands up and puts his comic book in his locker. "You're _totally_ falling for her." He says, with a huge grin plastered across his face.

"Oh shut up. I just, I donno.. I _like_ her. Is that alright with you?" I ask, raising my eyebrows at him.

"Dude, you know how I feel about the two of you getting together. You're my two best friends, and I'm all for it." He pauses. "So long as I don't become the third wheel. Not all the time anyways."

I laugh. "Well thank you for your approval."

Adam is the only person at Degrassi, no, make that the only person in the world, who knows practically everything about me. He's the only person who knows about my horrible past, my hoarding problem, and that I'm starting to develop a _thing_ for Clare Edwards. Adam is my best friend, and the only person I fully trust. I know, we've only known each other for a few weeks, but there was just that honest and trustworthy quality that I could feel when we first met.

Adam laughs in return. "No problem. I'll see you in English." He says, then walks off down the hall.

I grab any books that I'll need for my first couple classes, then close my locker and head to class. I can never concentrate during first period. Math in the morning is the _last_ thing I want to do. Throughout most of class I just kind of sit there, in my own little world. And what do I find myself thinking about?

_Clare_. I don't hardly know the girl.. So I don't understand why I'm starting to like her as much as I am. I don't _want_ to like her as much as I do, but I just can't help it. She's.. Captivating. Lately, when I'm around her, all I can think about is getting her to kiss me. And I want to. But I can't. It wouldn't be right. It wouldn't be _fair_.

My thoughts are interrupted by the bell ringing. _Finally_. Math is over. Not that I was paying much attention anyways.. But still, now I can go see Clare and Adam in English.

I gather my things and make my way down the hall to English. By the time I get there, Adam and Clare are already in their seats. I walk across the room and take my seat in front of Clare.

"Hey." I say, as I turn around and smile.

She smiles back. "Hey. How is your day going so far?"

"Much better now, definitely glad to be out of math." Clare laughs. "How about you, how's your day going?"

She thinks about it for a minute. "Alright I guess.. Now that I'm in my favorite class of the day."

"And what makes it your favorite class?" I ask out of curiosity.

Just as Clare is about to answer, the bell rings and Ms. Dawes walks into the room. "Ah, it's nice to see that you two decided to join us today." Ms. Dawes says, looking at Clare and then me as she walks by our desks. I look up to meet her gaze.

"And we're glad to be here." I sarcastically reply, smiling my fakest smile.

"Mr. Goldsworthy, would you care to explain why the both of you were gone yesterday?"

"To be completely honest, Clare and I were working on our essay's."

Ms. Dawes turns to face Clare. "Is this true, Ms. Edwards?" I turn back to look at Clare. She just looks at Ms. Dawes and nods her head intently. "Alright then, I'll believe you. But next time, don't take time out of class to do work that should have already been finished." She pauses, as she turns and makes her way to the front of the classroom. "Now, you both need to read your essay's to the class. Would one of you like to volunteer to go first?"

I look back at Clare and she looks terrified, so I stand up from my desk. "I'll go first." And I make my way to the front of the class. I'd really rather not read my letter out loud, since I kind of wrote it about me liking Clare.. I wrote it in the vaguest way possible, meaning no names or physical description, but still. My letter is very personal, as is Clare's, but I couldn't force her to come up here looking as scared as she did. And if that meant me going first, then so be it.

I take a deep breath, and start reading my letter.

"Dear You,

Being around you makes me remember what it's like to have somebody to care for, even if you aren't mine. I know as of right now we are just friends, but I hope someday we can be more than that. Every time I'm around you, I can't help but to smile to myself. You are an amazing girl, and I hope you know that. I also hope you know that I will always be here for you, no matter the time, no matter the place. But there are also some things that I wish were different. For starters, I wish I wasn't afraid to tell you that I think I'm falling for you. After what happened the last time I loved somebody, I guess I'm just scared to admit my feelings towards people.."

I paused. I had been looking down at my paper, but just now I looked up to briefly make eye contact with Clare. And then with Adam so I wouldn't be giving anything away. Maybe it was a mistake, but it was too late now.

"Especially to someone like you. You are beautiful, smart, and have a smile that lights up a room. But, I also feel as if I'm not good enough for you. That is another thing I wish was different, and maybe someday I'll feel differently about it. As for now though, I choose for both of us to remain anonymous.

Love, Your Secret Admirer"

I finished reading my _sappy love letter_, and went and sat down in my seat, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"Very well done Eli." Ms. Dawes said. I looked up to meet her eyes. "Just remember to try and not be too wordy." She smiled at me. "Alright Clare, it looks like you're up."

I heard Clare let out a sigh, but then she got up from her desk and made her way to the front of the room.

"Dear Mom and Dad," Clare began reading. I look up to watch her as she continues reading. "I hear you two arguing all the time, and it worries me. I don't know what's going on and you won't tell me anything when I ask questions. You say that you're doing it this way to _protect_ me, but I don't think you understand how hard all of this is on me. As much as I would hate to hear the words "_We need to talk_", they would be better than not having any clue as to what is really going on." Clare pauses for a minute, then clears her throat and continues. "I never thought I would have to be someone to worry about if my parents.." She stops, sounding like she's about to lose it. "About if my parents were going to be getting divorced.. I'm sorry, there's more.. But I need some air." Clare says, dropping her paper on her desk as she hurried out of the classroom.

"Can I go check on her?" I ask Ms. Dawes the second Clare is out of the room. I'm already to the door when she responds.

"Perhaps you should just wait-" She started to say, but I practically ran out of the room anyways, looking for which direction Clare had gone.

**Well there's the end of Chapter Five. I wanted to try writing it in Eli's POV.. So let me know what you thought about that. Also, I know, Eli's letter wasn't the greatest.. But I wanted to write something down, regardless of how cheesy it may have sounded. I'll post the next chapter within a couple days. :)**


	6. I Caught Fire

**Thanks for all the reads/reviews. :) I really appreciate it! Here's chapter six. Enjoy. :)**

**The title for this chapter is I Caught Fire - The Used. I guess this one is kind of a random pick.. But **_**could**_** still fit with it, depending on how you look at it. :)**

Clare's POV:

I ran out of the classroom and headed down the hall towards my locker. Thankfully, there wasn't anyone around. Once I got to my locker I put my back against it and slid down to the floor, dropping my head in my hands. I started bawling my eyes out, I just couldn't help it.. I can't believe I left that same letter at home for my mother to read. I didn't even want to read it, so how can I expect her to?

_And Eli thinks I'm a strong person.._ I think to myself. Just then, I hear someone walk around the corner. I lift my head up slightly to see Eli rushing over to me, looking worried. I put my head back down, not wanting him to see me like this.

"Are you alright?" He asks, as he sits down on the floor next to me.

I lift my head back up to look at him. "Do I _look_ alright to you?" I weakly reply, not wanting my voice to break.

Eli puts his hand on mine in a comforting way, and looks into my eyes. "Clare.. It will all be okay. No matter how horrible it may all seem right now, it does get better. Trust me." He sounds as if he wants to say something else, but he doesn't. Usually I wouldn't pry for more, but my curiosity gets the best of me this time.

"…How would you know?" I hesitantly ask.

Eli stares at me for a few seconds longer, and I can see pain in his eyes. But then he turns and looks straight ahead of him at the wall. He's quiet for a minute, as if he's thinking of the right way to say something. Then finally he speaks, still facing the wall.

"About two years ago there was this girl I met. Julia. She was.. Amazing." He sighs. "We started going out, and it all was just so easy. We were a lot alike, and had a lot in common. Everything was perfect." Eli pauses, takes a deep breath, and then continues. "And then one day, we were hanging out at this place we would always go to together. It was like.. Like our special place. Anyways, we were just talking, and some stupid stuff got brought up. Stuff that shouldn't have mattered.. We ended up getting into a huge fight. We both said things we didn't mean, but I was harsh with what I said to her.. She got upset and took off on her bike. I didn't go after her. I was.. I was just too angry to even want to look at her. So I left. Later that night I tried calling her, so that I could apologize and we could just forgot about that dumb argument, but she didn't answer. I didn't leave a message, because I wanted her to hear it straight from me. I decided to just drive over to her house and apologize in person. So I get to her house, knock on her door, and her dad answers it. His face was completely pale, and his eyes were slightly red, as if he had been crying. He looks at me and whispers, "_She's gone.._". At first I just thought he meant she wasn't home.. But then that wouldn't explain why he looked the way he did. So I asked what he meant, and he told me what happened."

Eli pauses. He looks like he's about to start crying, but I quietly ask him anyways. "W- what happened?"

He turns his head so now he's looking at the floor. "He told me, that Julia was riding her bike, and got hit by a car. He told me, that Julia is gone."

"Oh my God.." I whispered.

"The car hit her head on, and she died on impact." Eli continued. "I tried to deny it, to say that it wasn't possible. That I had seen her just a few hours before. But none of it mattered. What's done is done."

"Eli.. I'm _so_ sorry." I said, placing my hand on his this time.

He finally looked up to look into my eyes. "Just like that, the most important person in my life was gone.. I feel like it's all my fault. Like I'm the one that killed her, and not that car."

"Eli, don't say-"

"No," He cut me off. "It's true. If I hadn't of argued with her, and yelled all of those.. Those _hateful_ things, then she would still be here, and I wouldn't feel like I killed my girlfriend."

I just looked at him. He looks so incredibly sad.. I turned my body so that I was facing him, and then I reached my arms around him and gave him a hug. After a second or two he started to hug me back. This was probably the biggest, longest, and tightest hug I have ever given or received.

"No matter what you think, it wasn't your fault Eli. You need to forgive yourself and be happy."

"Why should I get to be happy?" Eli asked, letting go of me so he could look me in the eyes.

"Because this _isn't_ your fault. And I'm sure Julia knows that, and she wouldn't want you to blame yourself. You may have said hurtful words.. But I'm sure she knew you still loved her."

Just then, one single tear escaped from Eli's eye. I reached up and wiped it away. "I'm here for you Eli. I will help you through this."

Eli smiled at me. "Thank you Clare. I really appreciate it."

I smiled back at him. "Anytime Eli."

We sat there for a few moments in silence, both of us just looking at the wall ahead of us. Then I turned to face Eli. "Can I ask you something?"

Eli nodded. "Sure, go ahead." Then he turned to face me.

I think for a minute, about how I want to word what I'm going to say. "The letter you wrote that you read in class.. Who were you talking about?"

Eli looks away from me for a few seconds, then looks back at me and says, "Well.. To be completely honest, it was about you."

I look into his eyes for a minute more, and then blush and turn my head away. I had no idea he felt the same way about me, as I do about him. "Oh.." I pause. "Well, since we're being honest, I feel the same way about you.." My face feels hotter than before, and I can feel him looking at me. I turn my head and look back to meet his gaze.

He smirks. "Oh really?"

"_Yes _really. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Well.. I guess not. After all I _am_ pretty awesome.." He jokingly says.

"Oh get over yourself already." I say, playfully smacking his arm.

He laughs. "As much as I would love to just sit here with you.. I think we should get back to class."

"So _now_ you're going to be the responsible one? And just yesterday you were convincing me to skip class.."

"Hey," He says as he stands up. "It's not like I _made_ you skip yesterday. I was just making sure you were aware of all your options."

"Right." I laugh. He offers both hands to help me stand up. I grab them both, and he lifts me up. "Thanks." I say, still holding his hands. He lets go of my right hand, but still hold on to my left one.

"Shall we go?" Eli asks, giving my hand a light squeeze.

I smile at him. "Yes." And give his hand a squeeze in return. We walk back down the hall, hand in hand, and make our way back to English. Eli holds the door open for me, and I walk into the classroom with the biggest smile on my face. We make our way to our seats and sit down.

"Clare, Eli, it's nice to have you back. Everything alright?" Ms. Dawes asks, looking at me. I smile and nod. "Yeah, never better."

Eli turns around to look at me, and he smiles.

"So much for staying anonymous.." We hear Adam say. Eli and I both turn our head to look at him, and then all three of us start laughing.

"Hey, I think it worked out for the better this way. Wouldn't you say so Clare?" Eli asks, turning back to face me.

I smile my biggest smile at him. "Of course I do."

"Alright you three, get back to work. For _those_ of you who didn't hear the directions," Ms. Dawes says, looking at me and Eli. "The assignment is written up on the board."

I wouldn't care if we had to write a ten page paper on what we ate yesterday. I couldn't be any happier at the moment.

**I hope you liked it. Let me know what you think! :)**


	7. Thinking Of You

Chapter Seven: Thinking Of You

**Thanks for the reads and reviews. :) I meant to update sooner, but I get distracted so easily. And it doesn't help that I got a tumblr a few days ago. I could spend ALL day on there. Good stuff I tell you. :) Anyways, here's chapter seven. Enjoy. :)**

**The title of this chapter is Thinking Of You - Test Your Reflex. It was my absolute favorite song a couple years ago, and I was looking on my iTunes and found it. And it actually could fit. (From an Eli POV kind of way?)**

Clare's POV:

The bell for class ending just rang, meaning that English was over with. I say bye to Eli and Adam, and then make my way to the cafeteria to look for Alli. Eli didn't ask me if I wanted to sit with them, but I'm not all that surprised. I mean, it's not like we're going out or anything.. We just told each other how we feel.

I smile as I spot Alli sitting at our usual table and I run over and sit down across from her.

"Well _someone_ sure looks happy today." Alli says as I sit down.

I smile wider at her. "That would be because I _am_ happy." She just stares at me. So I look to make sure no one else is around, and then I continue. "I figured out how I feel about Eli."

She smiles at me. "And? How would that be?" She excitedly asks.

"I like him." I tell her.

She shrieks of giddiness. "That's great! So what's the plan now, are you gonna tell him or ask him out or something?"

"Well.. I kind of already did. Tell him that I like him I mean. And guess what." I pause, and Alli urges me to continue. "He likes me too. He wrote his English assignment about.. Well.. _Me_. And it was the sweetest thing ever." Just thinking about that letter makes me smile bigger than ever.

"Clare! That's so cute!" She pauses. "Are you two going out now or..?"

"No. We were just talking, and I asked him about his assignment and who it was about. He told me it was about me, and I told him I feel the same way about him." I paused, remembering what he had told me about his ex, my smile faded some. "I think I'm just gonna give it some time."

"Give what time?" She asked. Then it looked like an idea came to her mind. "Please don't tell me you aren't over KC yet.."

"Of course I am!" I reply, a little louder then I meant to. What she said just caught me off guard. I look around and see a few people staring at us. Some of them just so happen to be KC and Jenna, my two least favorite people at the moment. I look back at Alli and lean across the table more. "I was over KC _months_ ago, Alli." I tell her, in a much quieter voice. "I just want to take things slow. And not rush into anything." She really didn't need to know any more than that. Not on Eli's end anyways..

"Okay, no need to get defensive, I was just making sure. And I guess taking it slow wouldn't be such a bad idea.. Maybe things would go better than they did in your last relationship."

"Alli!"

"I'm kidding!" She cuts me off before I could get any more angry at her. "Oh! So why were you sitting in Eli's car this morning?"

"It was raining when I was walking to school, and Eli saw me, so he offered me a ride."

Alli looks at me a little disappointed, like she must have been expecting more. "Okay. Well that was sweet of him." She says, trying to hide her disappointment.

I smile. "Yeah, it was."

Eli's POV:

"So you actually told her you like her?" Adam asked me. We had just gotten out of English and were now at our lockers. I opened my locker, put my books inside, and grabbed an apple and my latest _Gothic Tales_ magazine.

"Not really. She asked me who my letter in class was about, and I told her it was about her. Then she told me she likes me too." I smile just thinking about it.

"Dude, that's awesome." Adam says, reaching his hand up to give me a high five.

I chuckle and put my hand up. "Yeah, I guess it is. And I, uh.. I told her about Julia.."

Adam looked kind of shocked. "Really? How'd she take it?"

I think about it for a minute. "Good. She was supportive. It made me feel good. _Relieved_ too I guess."

He smiles. "That's good. And I'm glad I don't have to keep it a secret from her anymore."

We both sit down on the ground in front of our lockers. Adam looking at his comic book, and me looking in my magazine. We're quiet for a few minutes, and I'm in depth reading a story when I hear Adam's voice.

I look over at him. "What?"

He sighs. "I said, did you tell Clare about the hoarding?"

_Oh yeah.. That_. I sigh. "Actually, I had kind of forgotten about it." He looks at me like I'm crazy. "It just didn't come into mind at the time, okay? I wasn't even planning on telling her about Julia.. It just kind of happened."

"Alright." Adam pauses. "How's that going anyways? The hoarding I mean."

"Incredibly slow. My mom tries to help me go through my stuff, but it just ends up frustrating me. My room barely looks any different from the first time you saw it."

"I'm sorry man.. Well, I'm always here if you need me to help with it." He says, giving me a weak smile.

"Thanks, I appreciate it. I might take you up on that offer one of these days." I smile in return.

Adam is quiet for a minute, then asks, "So are you gonna ask Clare out?"

I sigh. "I don't know.. I mean, I want to. But I don't think I'm ready yet. And I don't want to ask her out and then have things get weird because I wasn't ready for another relationship yet."

"That makes sense. But does Clare know that?"

"No.." I pause. "I guess I should probably talk to her about it, so she doesn't get frustrated with me or anything. I'll find her after school and tell her."

"That's probably a good idea." Adam replies. And then he goes back to reading his comic book, while I read my magazine.

Clare's POV:

The school day was finally over with. I got to my locker and was putting books away when Eli came up and stood next to me.

"Hey." He smiled at me.

I smiled back. "Hey."

"So, I was wondering if we could talk. I could give you a ride home if you want."

"Okay." I hesitantly responded. "And I guess I _could_ let you give me a ride home." I smiled at him. I closed my locker, and we headed out the front doors and got to Eli's car. Once we were both in, we just sat there for a minute in silence. I look over at Eli. "So. What did you want to talk about?"

He looks over to meet my eyes. "Well.." He looks away and bites his lip, like he's trying to think of how to say something. "I just wanted to kind of talk to you about.. _Us_."

My heart starts to beat faster. "What about us?"

He pauses for a few seconds. "I don't think I'm ready for a relationship or anything right now. I like you Clare, believe me I do. I just.. Need some time." Eli awkwardly says, then looks at me again.

I let a deep breath out. I'm kind of relieved. At first, I thought he was going to ask me out. Which isn't a bad thing. But I really _do_ want to take things slow this time around. I smile at him. "I understand Eli. And I'll give you that time." I pause. "I know you have some things you need to deal with, and I just want you to know that I'll be here to help.. If you need it."

He smiles back at me. "Thank you, Clare." He almost looks like he wants to tell me something else, but he doesn't say anything. Instead, he starts the car and we're on our way to my house.

The car ride is silent between us. But this time, it isn't really an awkward one. It's more like the type of silence you share with friends or loved ones. Like when you're with someone you are completely comfortable with. The only sound is the radio, but I'm not really paying much attention to it. I'm just, once again, happy to be where I am.

**So what did you think? I needed **_**some**_** kind of happiness after Friday's episode. Don't even get me started.. Haha. But, tell me what you thought about this, Friday's episode, and your thoughts on next week's final episode. I'd love to hear what you all are thinking. :) I'll update again soon.**


	8. Lullaby

Chapter Eight: Lullaby

**Thanks for the reviews. :) And yes, I saw the MTV spoiler. Really wish I hadn't.. I want next Friday's finale to be as suspenseful as possible, so I think I'm staying away from spoilers, and maybe even the sneak peak. But not the pictures. But yes, Friday's episode was unhappy, especially the end. :(**

**The title for this chapter is Lullaby - Chase Coy. It was kinda hard to pick the right song for this chapter, but this one fits alright.**

Clare's POV:

"Well, here we are." Eli said, looking over at me. We had just pulled up in front of my house.

I look over at him and smile. "Yeah.. Thanks for the ride." I look back at my house. Both of my parents cars are gone. _Good_. I'm actually really relieved neither of them are home. I just don't want to deal with what they might say to me right now. Since I left this morning, and left that letter on the table, I've been dreading coming home. But I can't put it off forever I guess..

I open the car door and am about to get out when Eli puts his hand on my arm. "Hey," He says. I turn back to face him. "If things get rough later, just remember you can call me." He pauses. "You're strong, don't forget that." Eli smiles at me, then moves his hand away.

I let out a loud sigh. "I'll try." I smile. "But don't be surprised if I _do_ call you." I shrug, and then get out and close the door behind me.

I walk up my front steps, get my key out, and unlock the door. I head straight up to my bedroom, and lock the door behind me. I just feel like being alone right now.. Enjoy a little calm before the storm I guess you could say.

Sitting down on my bed, I kick my shoes off, and then take out some homework. Might as well take advantage of the peace and quiet before anyone gets home.

About a half hour later I'm done with everything. I guess I did only have some math and English work to do.. I look at my watch. It's 3:45. I don't know when my mom is going to be back. A part of me is hoping she isn't back for hours. The other part of me wants her to come home now so we can get this over with. I grab my laptop off of my desk, and lay down on my bed on my stomach.

I'm just messing around on Face Range when I hear the front door open and close. _Crap_. My mom's back already. About a minute or two later I hear a knock on my door.

"Clare?" I hear my mother's voice say. "Can I come in?"

I sigh. "Yeah, just a second." All of the sudden I'm extremely nervous. _I am so not ready for this.._ I say to myself.

I get up from my bed, set my laptop back on my desk, and go over and unlock my door. "It's open." I say, heading back over to sit on my bed.

My mom opens the door, and walks over to sit next to me on my bed. I can feel her looking at me, but I don't look up. "I read your letter Clare."

I sit there for a few seconds, not knowing how to respond. I can feel tears coming to my eyes. _I'm scared,_ I think to myself. _I'm scared, and I hate this.. This whole situation is just so messed up_. I finally look up to meet my mother's eyes. "And?" I weakly ask her.

"And I think it's time we had a talk."

"What kind of talk?" I quickly respond.

My mom sighs. "Your father and I had a talk today." She pauses. "Sweetie, we're going to get a divorce." _I can't believe it's actually happening.._ _How _could this be happening? I feel frozen, and can't respond before my mother continues. "We're all gonna sit down later and discuss it. I just wanted you to get a chance to prepare yourself for it."

She's just staring at me, but I can't look at her right now. I can't even talk to her right now, or I know that I'll start bawling my eyes out. I'm silent for another minute, before I'm finally able to respond. "Can I just be alone for right now?"

She nods, then gets up and leaves my room, closing the door behind her. The second the door closes, I feel the tears start coming down my face. I lay down and bury my face in my pillow. _How could this actually be happening?_ I think to myself. This must be more serious than I thought.. I mean, I knew my parents had problems. Everybody's parents have problems. But problems _this_ big? That the only solution is to get a divorce? This has to be some kind of sick joke. I guess I'll find out after my dad gets home.

Awhile later I wake up to the sound of my phone. I guess I fell asleep.. I pick up my phone. _One new message from Alli!_ The screen says. I open my phone and click _read_.

_"Hey, wanna hang out tonight?"_ I sigh. I click _reply_. _"Would love to, but can't. Having some family meeting thing. I'll tell you about it at school tomorrow."_ Then click _send_.

Before I close my phone, I happen to notice the time. 6:25. _Geez_. Apparently, I was asleep for about two hours. And if it's almost 6:30, then that means my dad should be home by now.. I was definitely not looking forward to this. I put my shoes back on, and put my phone in my pocket before heading downstairs. I wanted to be ready to leave after this whole _"talk"_ thing. I walk into the dining room to see my dad sitting at the table, and I notice my mom bringing food to the table.

"I see you woke up from your nap." My mother says, sitting down at the table. "I went upstairs about 10 minutes ago but you were asleep. So I thought I'd let you get your rest."

I sit down. "Uhh.. Thanks.." I awkwardly reply. We were having tacos, so I grabbed a plate and made one. Then I started eating. I knew it was coming. _The talk_. I sigh. This was going to drive me crazy, if I had to just sit here with the two of them in silence. "So, when are we going to talk about this?"

My mom and dad exchange glances, then my mother looks at me. "Well, we were going to wait until after we ate. But we might as well discuss it now." She pauses. "Clare, your father and I are getting divorced. We've talked about it, and decided that I'll stay in the house, and you're father is getting a condo a few miles away. You'll stay here with me during the week, and go to your father's every other weekend." She takes a deep breath. "We know this is going to be hard on you-"

"No." I interrupt her. "You _don't_ know what it's going to be like. Why are you even getting divorced? Can you at least tell me _why_ you're making my life into a hell?" I was getting upset. Not sad though, I was getting very angry.

My dad talks this time. "Things just changed. We don't love each other anymore, Clare bear."

What kind of sad excuse was that? "What about the _vows_ you both said when you got married? Doesn't that mean anything to either of you?" With every question I ask my voice gets louder and louder.

"Clare.." My mother says. "Sometimes vows aren't meant to last. A lot of people get divorced." She pauses. "I'm sorry you have to go through this with us, but-"

I cut her off again. "No! You _obviously_ aren't sorry! If you were, then we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

I look down at my hands. I notice my purity ring on my left ring finger. I laugh at the sight of it. My "_vow to stay abstinent until marriage_." _It's all lies.._ I think to myself. As of right now, I can't even believe in marriage. Which means I don't need this "_vow_" of something I don't believe in around me anymore. I take it off of my finger. "And sometimes people have sex before marriage. I took a vow to not be one of those people. But right now, I don't know what I can believe anymore." I stand up, throw my purity ring towards the middle of the table, and head towards the door.

"Clare!" My mother says as I reach the door. "Where do you think you're going?"

I put my hand on the doorknob and turn back to look at her. "For a walk. And I'm staying at Alli's tonight." Then I walk out the door, slamming it behind me.

By now I'm so angry that tears are streaming down my face. I grab my phone out of my pocket and call Eli. He picks up on the second ring.

"Need me to come get you?" He asks.

"Yeah." I manage to say.

"I'll be there in five." He says, then hangs up.

While I'm waiting, I give Alli a call. "Clare?" She answers.

"Alli, can I stay over at your place tonight? Family issues that I can't deal with right now." I manage to say without sobbing.

"Yeah of course. Are you okay? And when are you coming over?" She asks.

"Not really.. And not for a little while. I'm gonna go hang out with Eli for an hour or so. I'll text you when I'm on my way."

"Alright. I'll tell my parents.." She pauses. "I'll tell them that we have to work on school stuff together. They'll be fine with you staying. I'll see you later."

Just as I hang up with Alli, Eli pulls up. I run out to his car and get in.

"Where to?" He looks at me and asks.

"Anywhere. I just need to get out of here." And then he drives off down the road.

**Thoughts? Let me know what you think. :) I'll update within a couple days.**


	9. Thunder

**Thanks for the reads and reviews. :) The finale on Friday was crazy. And sad on the Eclare part of it. :/ I kind of thought more was going to happen with it, but oh well.. I still can't believe the season is over, I don't think it's clicked with me completely yet. I think I just have too much hope in Eclare getting back together that it isn't really affecting me, but I'm good with that. :) Anyways, here's chapter nine.**

**The title of this chapter is Thunder - Boys Like Girls. It was the first song I thought of while writing/reading this, and it fits, so it's what I picked.**

Clare's POV:

The car ride with Eli was silent. We weren't talking, and the radio wasn't even on this time. Complete silence. Which was nice for a change. I hated the sounds of people yelling and arguing with each other.

I was staring out of the passenger window, to hide my face from Eli so he wouldn't see that I was crying, and just thinking about the mess that is now my life. After about five or so minutes of driving, Eli pulled the car over and shut it off. I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes and blinked a few times so that I could see where we had stopped. Apparently we were at the park.

"Wanna go sit?" Eli asked me.

I nodded and got out of the car. It was mostly dark out, and we were the only ones in the park. We started walking towards the bench, but then I saw the swings and started to head over to them. I heard Eli laugh, but I kept walking without turning to look at him. I sat down on one swing, and Eli sat down on the swing next to me. We were quiet for a minute or two, until Eli finally spoke.

"Are you gonna tell me what happened?"

I sighed. I guess I kind of owed it to him.. After all, he did come and pick me up after the fight with my parents. The least I could do was tell him what had happened. I started slowly swinging back and forth.

"After you dropped me off, I went up to my room. A little while later my mom got home and came up and talked to me. She told me.." I paused, feeling tears start to come to my eyes again. I took a deep breath and started again. "She told me, that her and my dad talked. And that they're getting a divorce.. Then at dinner, she was telling me again how they are getting divorced, and that I'll stay with my mom in my house during the week, and every other weekend I'll go stay with my dad in some condo. But the more she was telling me the angrier I was getting. So we started arguing, and she was telling me that "_sometimes vows aren't meant to last_" and, "_a lot of people get divorced_." It was all just so ridiculous." I sighed. I was getting worked up again just thinking about it. "I ended up taking off my purity ring saying "_and sometimes people have sex before marriage_", threw it at the table, and walked out the door."

Eli was quiet for a minute, as if processing all that I had just told him. "Clare.." He finally said, standing up from his swing and walking over to stand in front of me. "I'm so sorry."

I looked up to meet his eyes for the first time tonight. His eyes looked sad, like he genuinely meant it. I gave a weak smile. "It's okay.." I dropped my head back to the ground.

Eli knelt down so that he was eye level with me. "You don't always have to pretend like everything is okay." He said, lifting my face up to meet his and wiping away the tears from my face. "Everything _will_ be okay though. I'm here for you, Clare."

I couldn't help but to smile at that. "Thank you." I whispered.

"For what exactly?"

I thought for a moment. "For just being you."

He smiled that crooked smile of his in return, and stood up. He put his hands out in front of me. I grabbed them and stood up. "Wanna walk to The Dot and get some ice cream? My treat."

"I would love to." I responded. Eli let go of my left hand, still holding my right, as we started walking towards The Dot. I guess the park we were at was only a couple minutes walk from The Dot.

We walked inside and I sat down at the counter. "Chocolate or vanilla?" Eli asked me.

"Vanilla." I told him. Eli was over at the cash register ordering and paying for our milkshakes. _I love this_. I thought to myself. I just love the way I feel when I'm around Eli. It feels as if nothing can bring my mood down or go wrong. When I'm with Eli, everything is just.. _Perfect_. I know that we aren't "_together_", but being just friends for now is kind of nice. Like there's no pressure or anything between us. It's rather relaxing.

Eli comes and sits down next to me and smiles. "They should be ready in a couple minutes."

I turn to look at him and smile back. After I few seconds I look away, but Eli doesn't. He just keeps _staring_ at me, but not in a creepy way. More like an adoring or lovable way. I turn back to him. "What?"

He looks as though I caught him off guard. "Nothing.." Eli says, looking down. I swear it looks like he's blushing.

I giggle. "Oh whatever, "_nothing_" always means "_something_". So now you kind of have to tell me." I flirtatiously tell him.

Eli looks over at me and raises his eyebrows. "Is that so?" I nod. "Fine then. I was just thinking.." He pauses, as if he's not sure what he has to say is okay. "That you look absolutely beautiful tonight."

I look at him, shocked. But feeling my cheeks start to blush I turn away. Just then Peter brings our milkshakes. "There you go, two vanilla milkshakes." He sets them down, smiles, and walks off.

"Thank you.. But you don't have to lie. I've been crying half of the night, so I know I don't look that good.."

"I'm not lying, Clare. I wouldn't do that." Eli responds. I look over at his eyes, and I can tell that he's being completely honest.

"Well then, thanks." I smile at him, before turning back to my milkshake. We sit there talking and drinking our milkshakes for about twenty minutes. I'm having the best time tonight. An hour ago I would have thought nothing could make me feel better. It turns out that there is one thing in my life that can make everything better. And that one thing is Eli.

We finish up and start walking back towards the park, hand in hand. I have the biggest smile on my face. I look over at Eli and see him smiling too. He notices me looking at him and looks over at me. "What?"

"Oh nothing.." I jokingly say.

"Clare." Eli says, raising an eyebrow.

I laugh and look forward again. "I was just thinking.." I pause. "About how amazing you are." I look back over at Eli. He raises both eyebrows at me, as if he doesn't believe me. "I'm being serious! You just.. Always seem to make me feel better. Even when I start off feeling like nothing can go right, you come along and sweep me off my feet and do the impossible.." I trail off. Did I really just tell him that he "_sweeps me off my feet_".. _Out loud_?

Eli smirks. "So. I sweep you off your feet, huh?"

_Yep, I did_. "In a way.. Yeah, I guess you do."

"What way exactly?" He asks, sounding confused.

"You'll have to figure that out for yourself." I smile. We just got back to the park, and headed for Eli's car. We both get in, and Eli starts the car. "Oh, I'm staying at Alli's tonight. So can you drop me off there?"

"Yeah, sure." Eli says, heading down the road.

I take my phone out and text Alli. "_Be at your house in five minutes._" Before closing my phone, I notice I didn't have any missed calls from my parents. _Good_. I just need some space from them right now, and I hope they understand that.

Everything is quiet on the way to Alli's. It was another nice silence. After a couple minutes of driving, Eli pulls up to Alli's house and shuts off the car.

"Well, here we are." Eli says.

I look over at him. "Thanks for tonight and well.. For everything really." I smile at him.

He smirks back. "No problem, Clare. I'm glad I could help." We sit there for a minute, just staring into each other's eyes. The color of his eyes is the most amazing color. Every time I look into them I get lost.

Eli turns away first. Then I look away, feeling my cheeks get hot. "Well I guess I should-" I start to say, reaching for the door.

"Wait." Eli interrupts me, grabbing my wrist.

I turn back to look at him, confused.

He takes a deep breath. "I've been wanting to do this all night, and I just can't wait anymore." Eli starts leaning towards me, and I find myself start leaning towards him. In mere seconds our lips meet and fireworks start going off. It's incredible.. With KC, I never felt anything even remotely close to what I'm feeling right now.

After a few seconds we pull apart, both breathless. "Wow." I say, turning my head away.

"Should I not have..?" Eli asks, sounding concerned.

"Oh, no! I'm glad you did." I respond, looking at him and smiling.

He laughs. "Alright, good." He pauses. "Do you want a ride to school tomorrow?"

"Sure. But I'll need to stop by my house to change and get my things for school.." I pause for a moment. "Can you give Alli a ride too? I just don't want her to feel like I'm ditching her or anything.." I ask.

Eli nods. "Yeah, I guess so."

I smile. "Alright, thanks." I say, reaching for the door and getting out. I walk up to Alli's front door and ring the doorbell. Alli answers about two seconds later.

"Hey! I'm so glad you're staying over tonight." She says.

I turn back and wave to Eli. He nods, and drives off. I turn around to face Alli. "Me too." I say with the biggest smile on my face.

"Well come on, let's go up to my room to start our "_school work_" that's due tomorrow." We both laugh, as we head up the stairs.

**Well what did you think? And I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I just got so distracted with everything and kept thinking more and more about the finale and the "Summer Teaser" that they showed. So let me know your thoughts on either the finale, the summer teaser, or both, along with what you thought about the chapter. And this time, I WILL update within a couple days. :)**


	10. Baby We're Invincible

Chapter Ten: Baby We're Invincible

**I'm SO sorry for taking so long to update. It's been exactly one month, and I feel terrible. I just kind of "fell out" of the writing mode, but I'm trying to get back there. Thanks for the reads and reviews. :) Not much else to say, so here's chapter ten.**

**The title of this chapter is Baby We're Invincible - A Rocket To The Moon. It kind of fits with Eli and Clare, just maybe not so much for the chapter.**

Clare's POV:

"Eli _kissed_ you?" Alli shrieks with excitement. I had just finished telling her about my terrible night at home, and my wonderful night out with Eli.

I laugh. "_Yes!_ And it was really amazing."

"Clare that's great." She pauses. "But, what happened to "_taking things slow_"?"

"Well.." I think for a minute. "It was just a kiss. And how much _slower_ can things go than a kiss?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Alli smiles.

"And it's not like we're dating or anything.. Still just friends." I confidently say.

"Yeah, friends who kissed!"

"Oh hush, Alli. It's okay for friends to kiss if they like each other." All this talk about Eli and I kissing got me thinking. I might be possibly ready for something.. But what about him? He has things to deal with still.. And I don't want him rushing into anything with me just because he thinks it's what I want. Yeah, it _is_ what I want, but I'm more than willing to wait for him.

"_Hello_? Earth to Clare?" Alli's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, sorry.. What did you say?" I asked.

"I said, then if you two are friends, who like each other _and_ kissed, then why _aren't_ you going out?"

I sigh. "I already told you, Alli. I don't want to rush into anything."

"And Eli feels the same way?" She skeptically asks.

"Well.." I pause. _Big mistake_. "Yeah, pretty much."

"You paused! Which means you had to think about it. So, what aren't you telling me?"

"I can't tell you." I slowly respond. Alli is giving me _that_ look though. "I promised him I wouldn't tell anybody! He trusts me, and I don't want to give him a reason not to."

"Clare!" Alli whines. "I tell you _every_thing."

She's right, she does tell me everything. But.. Isn't this kind of different? She's giving me that look, the one I can't say no to. "_If_ I tell you, you can't say a single word to anybody. And, you can't act any different around Eli or he'll know something's up. Okay?"

Alli nods excitedly. "Yes, okay! Now just tell me, please?"

I take a deep breath. "Last year, there was this girl Eli was going out with, Julia. They'd been going out for a while and everything was good. But one night, they were hanging out and got into some argument. Julia left on her bike, and Eli left in his car." I pause for a few seconds. I feel bad for telling all of this to Alli, but it's too late now. "Well, Eli went over to her house later to apologize.. But Julia's dad told him that she was riding her bike and got hit by a car. And she didn't make it."

Alli is quiet for about a minute. "Wow.. That is _horrible_."

I sigh. "I know. And that's why we aren't dating. We just both want to take things slow, and he still isn't totally over her yet. I was actually really surprised that he kissed me tonight.."

"Yeah, I guess so.." Alli slowly responds. "But I won't say anything to him. It's not like I ever seen him anyways."

"Well you'll be seeing him tomorrow." I pause, and Alli gives me a confused look. "He's giving us a ride to school tomorrow."

Alli looks at me surprised. "You mean in the _hearse_?"

I laugh. "It's not as bad as it seems. And if _I_ can get use to it, so can you."

"Alright, _fine_. It's not like I plan on riding in there a lot, so I guess one time couldn't hurt." Alli sighs. "So.. You really threw your purity ring at your parents, hmm?"

That comment caught me off guard a little bit. I had actually almost forgotten about it, and I didn't even notice I wasn't wearing my purity ring for the first time in a long time. "Well, I didn't technically throw it _at_ them.. It was more towards the middle of the table." I shrug.

Alli laughs. "Well either way, you aren't wearing it right now.. Does that mean you aren't against pre-marital sex anymore?"

"No!" I shout, perhaps too quickly. "I mean.. I don't know. I don't know what I believe in anymore. I was just trying to make a point at the time."

Alli nods. "Well I'm sure your parents are worried.." I glare at her. "Not that it matters." She quickly recovers.

I sigh. "They probably are, but I couldn't care less right now. I told them where I was staying tonight, that should be all that matters." I pause. "It's just, _they_ are putting me through hell right now.. So they can get a little hell back."

Eli's POV:

_I can't believe I actually kissed Clare._ I thought to myself as I drove off from the Bhandari house. I know that I'm not completely over Julia yet.. And who knows if I ever will be. All I know is that I wanted to kiss Clare right then and there, more than I've ever wanted to kiss her before. I know that I'm not ready for a relationship with her yet, but I just couldn't help myself.

Clare is _absolutely_ amazing. Each and every day I like her more and more. And the kiss? It was incredible. The moment our lips met fireworks started going off. I'm pretty sure Clare liked it too. She seemed breathless afterwards. I just hope she doesn't think that this means we're anything more than friends.. For now at least.

I pulled up to my house and shut off Morty. I just sat there for a few minutes thinking. Mostly about what I was going to say to Clare tomorrow. I want to make myself clear, but I don't want her to take it as a rejection or anything like that. I want to be with her.. Eventually.. But I'm not even sure if she wants to be with me.

I sigh, as I get out of Morty and head up to my house. I head upstairs to my room, and lay down on my bed. I glance around my room and groan. I still hadn't told Clare about my hoarding problem.. But it's not like she _needs_ to know about it, so that can wait.

It's only about 8:30, but for some reason I was extremely tired. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, seeing that I had no missed calls or unread texts, and placed it on my nightstand before falling asleep.

**I know, it's not really as long as my normal ones, but I just felt that I REALLY needed to post something. I'm not completely sure when I'll post again, hopefully soon. But I'm not going to promise anything this time. Let me know what you think? :) AND also your thoughts on the new "Now Or Never" promo that came out yesterday.**


End file.
